Fame changes children. That’s a fact. Whether that change is perceived as harmful or healthy is almost entirely subjective—I’m sure that child psychologists can point to gland secretion, hormone balance, and brain lobe activity to judge more decisively. A lot of kids raised on TV grow up to lead normal lives. Look at HilaryDuff! She was the Disney live-action star, paving the way for MileyCyrus and SelenaGomez. Where is she now? At home, with her loving husband and adorable baby. No sex scandals, no rehab stints, no DUIs. But I propose that she is the exception, not the rule. That’s why I was so disheartened to hear that KateGosselin was choosing to put her eight children through another reality TV show: most of the time, it doesn’t end well for the kids.

During CelebrityWifeSwap with Kate and ex-sex toy KendraWilkinson, the twins and sextuplets were subjected to a totally foreign way of life: they were abandoned by their mom, and were forced to accept the presences of Kendra as their guardian. As if that isn’t unnatural enough, they had a strange camera crew in their faces. Whether the crew was nice is immaterial: having a dozen strangers in your home, while your parent is gone, is straight up WEIRD. With no first-hand experience to think of, the kids had to trust Kate’s decision completely: they had no way to escape the commitment she made to the show.

If you watched, you probably saw how well behaved the kids were. You might have reached the conclusion that their manners were a mark of good parenting. Well, I have a darker theory; I think they’re emotionally repressed and void. Children, by nature, want to please those they love. Kate, true to fame whore definition, wants TV-ready kids. It is entirely likely that, after years of repression and neglect, the kids have adopted meek, compliant behavior as basic means of survival. Whether they’re aware of their behavioral shift or not, the unhealthy living environment will guarantee them years of therapy and thousands of dollars (hopefully not to drug addiction specialists, though I wouldn’t be surprised, based on the mistakes of other child stars).

I think it is disgusting that people turn to Kate and her freaky home of abuse for entertainment; why don’t we all turn off the TV and play with our kids, instead of taking joy at the expense of child slaves? Do you think Kate’s kids are abused?